The Unforgiven
by Rogizo
Summary: Yasuo's story is one of a man framed for murder and forced to run, but nobody ever said how it ended. This story explores the conclusion of Yasuo's tale as he journeys to find the true killer. It features many champions so the list of included champions will be constantly changing with who has been important or recently featured. Co-Written by the legendary Diovolo!
1. Framed

Yasuo's feet pounded against the dirt path as he dashed through the jungle, leaving behind only furtive glances over his shoulder and the whistle of a soft wind. His long dark hair and dark eyes blended with the shadows of the tall trees that blocked the moonlight. On this day, his whole life ended and on this night, he would be born again- as an outcast.

All his life, Yasuo had lived in Ionia, a serene and artful land with the most skilled warriors and artisans in the world. But when Noxus laid siege to Ionia, Yasuo, the lone master of the wind technique was placed in charge of guarding an elder named Seiku while his older brother Yone and the other warriors went out to battle. However, believing himself capable of ending the conflict, Yasuo joined the open fray, cutting down Noxians left and right. As Yasuo charged and held his blade to the neck of an enemy soldier he said "Your superior officer, where is he?"

The Noxian stuttered in response, "D-D-Darius," and pointed behind him to where a massive man with an axe was smashing through an Ionian soldier's armor in a single great cleave. Yasuo's lip curled into a grin as he slashed away the nervous soldier and sprinted at Darius.

"Come get some!" the officer shouted, brandishing his huge war axe at Yasuo. He swung the weapon in an 'x' shape in front of himself and gritted his teeth. Yasuo never turned down a challenge and leaped, spinning his sword nimbly before landing a slam on Darius's shoulder plate. "Bahaha! Pathetic!" Darius boasted, backhanding Yasuo to the dirt. Spluttering and coughing up dirt, Yasuo stood again and pointed his blade at Darius.

"Are you ready to die?" He asked, brushing dust from his tunic.

"To a ingrate like you? Never!" The Noxian swung horizontally at Yasuo but wasn't quick enough. Before Darius could do a thing, Yasuo was leaning back, letting the axe pass harmlessly over himself and whirling back around, slashing near Darius's ankles, conjuring a concentrated gust of wind. Far too slow to do anything about it, Darius lost his footing and was knocked onto his stomach by the air current.

Yasuo stood over his victim, the thrill of battle filling his eyes, closing in on his mark like a lion cornering a gazelle. "Warrior," Darius groaned, "I've watched your city's defense with great anticipation. You were not meant to guard; you are a fighter! Cease fighting for the weak! Noxus needs capable officers."

Yasuo ignored the comments raising his sword and preparing to end Darius's life but paused. "How did you know I was a guard?" Darius laughed darkly.

In a moment Yasuo had turned and began a mad dash back to the elder's tent, fear striking his heart. All of the fighting was nothing to Yasuo and he cut down every Noxian who tried to stop him one slice at a time without skipping a step. The wind was at his back and pushed him forward.

Ripping open the tent, Yasuo scanned the room feverishly. His heart sank at the sight he found. Seiku was alone and unmoving on the ground, a single slash from his left shoulder down to his right hip. Yasuo leaned over the elder, panting hard from the sprint. "No! Seiku, get up! Please!"

"Yasuo! What happened?" Yone exclaimed, entering the tent behind Yasuo. Yone and Yasuo looked nearly identical but for the dark bags beneath Yone's eyes and his more well kempt hair.

"I don't know. Assassin."

"Come here Yasuo," Yone said, helping his brother up. "Calm down. Okay? It is over. Nothing you can do now." Yone let go of his brother and knelt next to Seiku, saying a prayer in Ionian. Then he closed the elder's eyes. "Go home brother. There is nothing for you to do here now. I will be with you when this battle is through. Alright?" Yasuo did not take his eyes off the elder but nodded slightly. "Alright?" Yone repeated.

"Yeah. Alright."

Once home, Yasuo grabbed a bottle from the shelf and gulped down several mouthfuls. He sat at a small wooden table that quaked under the weight of his elbows. Another gulp. Yasuo's pulse began to quicken and he gripped his hair tightly between his fingers. He was only gone for a minute. Just a short moment and the elder was dead. It continued on like this for some time before Yasuo lost himself in his drink and fell asleep on the table.

The following day, Darius pulled the Noxian army away from the city, leaving Yasuo with nothing to do but wallow and give himself up to the mercy of the other elders. His brother, Yone comforted him, saying things like "You meant the best, brother. I do not fault you for that. It will be alright." Yasuo knew his brother was trying to help so instead of arguing he simply allowed Yone try to make things better.

"It was a foolish mistake. One that will not be repeated," Yasuo murmured.

"That is all anyone can ask of you."

"They can kill me for this. I would not care."

Yone's face fell further ,"No Yasuo, you did nothing worthy of death. You should not think like that. There are still those of us who love you."

Later that afternoon, Yasuo went to speak to the elders and receive punishment for his crime. Kneeling down, Yasuo spoke slowly and with purpose. "I admit to abandoning my post and I accept the punishment the council sets out before me."

An elder to the left side of the row of six stood up, and brought attention to the vacant seat to his right.

"Yasuo, you are charged in responsibility for the loss of he who you were sworn to protect, Councilor Seiku. However, with our investigation of the scene we have deduced something else as well..." He paused and looked to the men at his sides nervously. "We believe it was in fact the man before us who also committed this murder."

Yasuo's eyes opened wide in shock. How could this be possible? Not only was he blamed for the death but they think it was he who committed the crime? "It was not me! I admit to abandoning my post but I would never-"

The elder raised his hand again and spoke up. "Yasuo, you have given us no choice. The council has spoken. You are sentenced to die by the sword... tomorrow at mid-day." Yasuo's face grew hot and he gritted his teeth in rage as his eyes filled with tears.

"You have no proof it was me!" he shouted angrily, trying to contain himself.

Again the elder looked to his piers. "In fact we do," the one to the furthest right said, tension in his voice. "The killer used a wind technique and you Yasuo are the only master capable of doing it."

The elder on the left looked sadly on Yasuo ,"I am disappointed- Yasuo. Your excitation will take place tomorrow. Go home and make your arrangements. You have little time."

"Elders, you know I wouldn't! Listen to me!"

"No Yasuo, you have betrayed our city, you have fallen to darkness, and you have brought us one step closer to falling to Noxus. You will leave. Now!" The elder on the right shook as his furious words echoed off the walls of the stone chamber.

"As you wish..." Yasuo left in a hurry and went home where he gathered his sword and dashed to pack a bag with travel supplies. He was willing this morning to accept anything, even death- but no more. If Yasuo were to die, he would not do so labeled a murderer.

"Yasuo, where are you going?" Yone stood at the doorway.

"Yone, brother. They accuse me of the killing. They say I am guilty. I have to prove my innocence! They'll kill me tomorrow if I fail." Yone said nothing but looked in terror at Yasuo.

"M-Murder? But why?"

"That matters little to them how or why. The truth is that I was fighting against the Noxian Darius at the time of the killing." Yone shook his head in confusion and shock.

"Brother, listen to my words. This is not the time to run. Make your case. They cannot kill a man with no proof."

"They will have none when I find the true assassin." Yasuo said nothing more and walked out the door. He made it a few steps before drawing back. "I'm sorry I have to go Yone."

Yone nodded, "I do not understand why you have to go Yasuo, but if your heart says you must, I know you have no choice." Yasuo hugged his brother tightly. "Just remember little brother, you will always have me." Yasuo strained a smile.

"Alright."

"And remember, your wind can protect you as much as it can hurt others."

"I know Yone," Yasuo said letting go and turning away. "But to be honest, I am starting to think being to only master of the wind is a curse, not a blessing."

"I am sure you will find a path that leads to reason Yasuo. Have faith." Yasuo nodded and touched his brother's shoulder one last time before starting to run, the wind pushing at his back.


	2. The Harbor

Where does someone who is completely alone go? All that Yasuo knew about the assassin was that they were known in or possibly from Noxus. Yasuo supposed that that was a good place to start. Hours of travel through the warm Ionian forests lead Yasuo to a dock on the south cape of the island. Going up to the harbormaster, Yasuo slid a few gold pieces onto the counter and said, "I need to get to Noxus, do you know how I can get there?"

The harbormaster looked up from his paper and eyed the gold. "What do you need to get to Noxus for son?" His gaze was critical and inquisitive.

"My business is my own."

"Well, for a special boy like you," the tired looking man said ,"I can tell you to get lost. We ain't got transports to Noxus. We are practically at war!"

"You don't think I know that? I need to go! I'll do anything!"

He shook his head. "No, there isn't anybody in these waters who could get out of Ionia let alone get into Noxus. They don't let skiffs from Ionia into Noxus."

"Find someone!" Yasuo protested.

"Look, I'll try. In the meantime, there is an inn right over there," he said pointing. "Stay there. If I can find someone, I will let you know."  
Yasuo groaned. "Is there at least a bar?"

"Yeah, get wasted."

"That was the plan."

Yasuo made his way to the inn and pushed open the door. Making his way over the threshold and catching a whiff of the alcoholic fumes, Yasuo stumbled upon a tense scene. A scarlet haired woman had one hand around the bartender's throat and the other on an enormous hand cannon.

"My tab is clear, am I right?" She whispered in his ear.

"Uh- uh yeah," he spluttered nervously.

"Good boy," she smirked, pushing him back against the wall and reaching over the bar for a bottle of whiskey.

"I guess we have a bit of a situation here, don't we?" Yasuo commented, taking a seat a few away from the woman.

"I just was paying back my tab. We go through a lot of rum."

"Of course we do, because you are Miss Fortune herself, scourge of Bilgewater and the only seafarer strong enough to compete with the Dread- Pirate Gangplank."

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" she chuckled.

"Wait what?" Yasuo said, shocked. "You are actually Miss Fortune?!" Yasuo had heard stories of the intimidating sharpshooter and pirate captain who had sailed in pursuit of gold and fame.

"I am. And who are you, tough guy?"

"Huh, Yasuo," he replied. "I'm a local on the way to Noxus."

"Noxus…" she pondered, "dangerous, I like that. Unfortunately there is no way to get there from here, you'd have to get to Bilgewater and board a boat from there. Not even I can get you to Noxus. They have a blockade stopping any Ionian or Demacian originating ship."

"So if we go from here we can't get there?" Yasuo speculated, "but if we were to go from Bilgewater we could make it?"

"Well, yes. But there is no 'we.' I only work for people who can pay enough for me."

"How about this?" Yasuo said, overturning his coin pouch on the bar. About three hundred pieces of gold poured out and spread across the table.

Miss Fortune laughed, "Not even close baby."

Yasuo sighed and leaned over, grabbing Fortune's bottle and taking a swig. "Then I am going to get drunk…" The pirate cheered and grabbed two glasses, filling them both to the brim.

"Lets!"

A couple of hours passed with both warriors sharing stories and escaping their problems, if only for a moment. But then, a man walked in and started nailing a piece of parchment to the wall. Yasuo squinted at it to see what it said. He could barely read through his drunken stupor. It said 'Wanted: Yasuo for the murder of Elder Seiku. He is considered extremely dangerous. 1000 gold reward for Yasuo, dead or alive.' It was followed with an amazingly accurate sketch of the lone wind master. The man was about to leave the bar but whirled around at the doorstep and drew a gun. "I came in here to put up a sign but looky here. I found myself a thousand gold."

"You really don't want to do that," Yasuo stammered, placing a hand on his sword.

"You think you can draw, run to me, and stab me before I pull the trigger? Because I don't'."

"I don't need to," Yasuo groaned. The man pointed the gun and fired a single shot. As fast as the bullet, Yasuo leaped into action, drawing his sword and yelling in ancient Ionian, swinging his sword upwards. Where his sword traveled through the air, wind rippled and created a barrier between he and the assailant. BANG!

The shooter dropped to the floor, blood dripping from his forehead. Yasuo whipped around and saw Fortune standing, a deadly serious glare on her face as she lowered her smoking gun. "That you?" she said, gesturing at the poster, her gaze never wavering from Yasuo.

"I am going to leave now," the bartender said slowly, backing away from the pair.

"Yeah, it is. But I was framed! I swear it!" Yasuo defended after a moment of pause, lowering his sword back into its sheath slowly.

"Well then, in that case," She said smiling and grabbing a fresh bottle, "let's get you to Bilgewater!"

"Really?" Yasuo asked, wondering why this woman he had only just met had changed her mind.

"Yeah, if you are wanted I can't just leave. Especially since you owe me more rum," she smirked, gesturing at the empty bottle they had shared.

"Well, if I am going with you, maybe you could tell me your real name?" Yasuo asked, "It can't really be Miss Fortune can it?"

"Sarah Fortune."

"Sarah? Really? Huh…" Yasuo pondered. "That doesn't sound very pirate like."

"And you wonder why I go by Miss Fortune instead?"

"Not anymore," he chuckled. "So anyway, where is your ship?"

Sarah gestured over her shoulder to the door, "Just out in the harbor. I told the harbormaster that I am here because I was clearing a ruined ship off the coast."

"You pirated it didn't you?"

"Absolutely. However, I'd rather you think of me as a bounty hunter than a pirate. I work for hire more often than not."

Yasuo nodded, "and how much will you be charging me, since we are on the subject?"

Miss Fortune grinned and leaned in close. "I like you Yasuo. I will do it for free."

"Really? Thank you so mu-"

"Shhhh," Sarah said, placing a finger on Yasuo's lips, "Just remember that I did this alright. When you have a bounty for me that pays, track me down."

"Sure thing Sarah."

"Oh, and don't call me Sarah in front of people. Call me Captain, Miss Fortune, Goddess, that kind of thing."

Yasuo laughed, "You know what I just realized?"

"No, what?"  
"We have been sitting here talking about what we are going to do and there is still a dead guy on the doorstep."

Miss Fortune glanced at the man she had shot. "Oh yeah. Follow my lead."

A few minutes later Yasuo and Miss Fortune had wrapped the dead man in a bed sheet from the inn and carried him out to the ship; after Fortune stopped to sweet talk the bartender into remaining quiet about the scene.

Out at sea, they disposed of the body in the same "shipwreck" that Sarah had come to "help with."

After that, the ship set sail for Bilgewater, the pirate haven, and criminal fortress. Days went by as they rolled on the waves and Yasuo could not stop thinking about his brother, Yone. What would Yone think now that the rumor was obviously out about the 'evidence' the council gathered to prove Yasuo's guilt. Yasuo hoped that Yone would trust his brother but a small part of Yasuo feared the worst. What if Yone was convinced of guilt, knowing his brother was the only master of the wind? Yasuo chose not to spend too much time pondering this possibility and instead tried to find ways to distract himself on the boat. Luckily this was not difficult as Sarah constantly came to flirt with him and talk about her craziest bounties.

Before long, Yasuo had his eyes on the skyline of Bilgewater and his mind on the next task at hand, finding a boat to Noxus.


	3. Alone No More

"Well, this is it," Miss Fortune as she and Yasuo set eyes on the port of Bilgewater.

"I don't know what I expected," Yasuo said, looking around. The port was actually rather small compared to the stories. The ships were trashed, old, and falling apart. In fact, there were only three or four nice ships in the whole place!

Stepping off of Fortune's ship onto the dock, the pair ignored the stares of everyone nearby. Sarah was clearly quite well-known in the area, as the man that most people would pay to dock simply sank back into the shadows at the sight of her.

"Hey, Fortune! How is it going?" A man said, leaning against the wooden wall of a cantina and raising a mug.

"Sorry Laurence, I've found a new man," she said, pulling Yasuo's arm around herself. Yasuo gawked confusedly at his companion.

"Woah! Wait a-"

"Shhh!" She hissed back, "Go along with it."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah! We're together, Laurence, so…"

Sarah chimed in. "So find someone else to entertain you tonight." The duo then continued on into the building. It was a rather large cantina with papers littering the walls and floor. Everything from missing notices, to wanted posters, to health code violations covered every inch of the rotting walls.

"So, what was that?" Yasuo inquired.

"Oh just some guy," she sighed absent-mindedly. Noticing that that was not a satisfactory answer, she continued on. "I may have gone on a date with that guy to tip the scales of a bid for a 3 barrel cannon."

"May have?"

"Alright, did. Happy?"

Yasuo shrugged. "I dunno. I just prefer honesty."

"Then how about you start up with the honesty yourself," Sarah retorted, "Why are you going to Noxus?"

Yasuo sighed. He had avoided this topic since he boarded Fortune's ship. In reality, he simply believed that the fewer people knew about his mission, the easier it would be. Obviously, if he left a trail of people who knew who he was, those looking to collect on his bounty would be able to quickly follow. But eventually, he decided that he could trust Sarah. "I'm looking for the person who framed me. They are likely a Noxian and they can use a wind technique, like I can."

"Sounds like an adventure, I like that."

"I would probably like it too, if it wasn't me."

The pair continued to the bar and sat down together. "You even notice that we spend a lot of time in drinking together?" Yasuo commented.

"Yeah, of course we do! What else is there to do?

Yasuo had a look around. "That," he said, focusing in on a table towards the back corner of the cantina. A lone man sat there in a dark blue hat and a matching trench coat, twirling a poker card between his fingers.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Sarah warned. Yasuo made his way over to the table, ignoring the protest. Sitting down, he nodded at the man sitting across.

"What'll it be friend?" the hatted man said, placing the card back into the deck.

"A game," Yasuo replied shortly, leaning back in his chair.

"Good, good. Would you like to place some money on this game of ours?"

Yasuo considered this for a moment. "I'd rather not."

The dark hatted man leaned in and said in a quiet tone,"I don't play practice games. So why don't you head on back to your girl at the bar and leave the poker to the gentlemen who know what they're getting' into."

Yasuo was slightly thrown off by this statement but rolled his eyes and pulled out his gold. "This good?" he said, placing a few pieces on the table.

"Good to start with." He replied.

"What is your name, friend?" Yasuo asked, taking a swig from his drink.

"They call me Twisted Fate," the hatted man said, shuffling his deck. "But TF for short."

"That's an… interesting name."

"That's what I got. My parents weren't real traditional like. I was raised on the road. Been doin' this all my life."

"So you must be a great card player then."  
"So they say."

Yasuo smirked ,"So I'd better not lose too much to you."

With that, the game started. To the surprise of at least one person seated at the table, Yasuo wasn't actually losing very badly. The game dragged on, each man winning and losing quite often until Yasuo drew a decisively strong hand. He grinned, looking at his three aces and up at TF who was frowning at his own hand. "All in," Yasuo said cheerily.

TF nodded in response and pushed in all of his gold to the center of the table. "That your girl?" he asked, nodding towards Sarah who was still sitting at the bar and was carefully stirring her drink.

"No, she's a bounty hunter I hired to bring me here from Ionia," Yasuo replied, turning to glance at Fortune. All Twisted Fate needed was that instant for Yasuo to turn away. He quickly raised his hand and two cards floated into the air- one from the center of the deck and one from Yasuo's hand. The two cards swapped places in the blink of an eye and as Yasuo turned back, TF dropped his hand on the table.

"Read 'em and weep"

Again, Yasuo smirked. "Three queens? I don't think I'll be the one weeping tonight. Yasuo tossed his hand onto the table. "Three aces," he stated proudly.

"Two aces."

Yasuo scanned his cards. "Where the hell is the third ace?!"

"Looks like you miscalculated," TF said, sweeping all of the gold into his pouch. Yasuo was still for a moment, shocked at what had happened. The it dawned on him.

"You cheated!" he yelled, pointing at TF and drawing the attention of Sarah.

"Me?" TF said mockingly. "Never."

Yasuo shook in anger and reached for his sword but before he could unsheathe it, a burst of cards flew into the air, obscuring his vision. The air master swung abruptly upwards and the wind pinned all of the cards against the ceiling of the cantina. But as soon as he did so, TF was gone. Yasuo just stood there and blinked a few times over, wondering if he was just drunk and imagined all of this.

"Um… Sarah, did that just happen?"

Fortune made her way over and caught one of the cards as it fell back down from the roof. "Yes it did." They looked at the card together. It was split into thirds: blue, red, and gold and had a strange insignia on it.

"You just got conned honey."

Yasuo spent that night on Miss Fortune's ship, unable to afford an inn after losing all of his money to TF. He crawled into his familiar bunk and closed his eyes tight, wishing he could just open them again and find all of his problems had disappeared and Yone there across from him. He groaned and rolled over in bed, searching his mind for peace. Alas, none came.

"What do I do now Yone?" Yasuo whispered. "Help me brother. I feel so lost." His words echoed in the silence and in his own mind, torturing him until he fell asleep. In his sleep, Yasuo was home in Ionia. The day was warm and the wind felt cool and smelled sweet from the top of the walls, where Yasuo spent his time guarding the city. All was right and as it should be.

Looking down upon the city, Yasuo saw his brother practicing with his sword. Yasuo chuckled to himself, watching his brother trying to master techniques that he had mastered years before. Yasuo was always the more talented of the two.

Searching the square of the town he saw a huge brawny man that he was quite familiar with. His name was Enso and he was the strongest man in Ionia. Enso gained his fame by cleaving down entire trees in a single swing in the forest. In the square, crowds circled around and cheered his name. Yasuo smiled as he watched the giant raise his massive greatsword and cleave in half a massive log.

Again Yasuo turned his attention away, this time to the temple at the top of the city, the only thing on equal footing with the outer walls where Yasuo stood. There Yasuo's gaze stopped wandering. Standing across from him was none other than Elder Seiku. Yasuo's eyes opened wide and he yelled for Sieku as he ran across the wall. Seiku simply watched Yasuo come. Taking a giant leap into the air and propelling himself to the temple steps with the wind, the swordsman dropped to his knees before the elder.

"Elder," he spoke, not looking Seiku in the eye. "I am sorry, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen to you. I never knew that there was an assassin that night. I never would have left. I failed you."

Seiku gently smiled down at Yasuo, offering him a hand to get up. "I know Yasuo."

The man kneeling on the ground accepted the hand and stood up slowly. The elder looked at peace. His features were almost soft looking, his eyes were kind and understanding. All at once, the pain of his action shit Yasuo, causing him to fall back to his hands and knees and let out an agonizing sob.

"Elder, please help me. I don't know what to do. The killer- Noxus- the bounty. It is all on me. I can't do it."

Seiku kneeled down to his guard and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I forgive you."

The dream had all become so real so quickly. Yasuo could feel the pain in his heart as if he were experiencing it in real life. "What do I need to do? Elder, you must know. Help me please!"

"I know Yasuo. But your quest is not your burden alone. I can help you." Yasuo wiped his face with his sleeve and looked into the warm eyes of the elder. "How?"

"I can prove your innocence Yasuo. If you bring me back."

"I can't bring you back Elder! You were dead, your body is burned by now. There was a slash through you." Yasuo choked on his own words. "You know this!"

"You know, young man. There are many things that you have to learn. One thing I know, is that death is not necessarily permanent. I know of a way that you can return me to life."

Yasuo coughed ,"What would you have me do?"

The elder nodded and sat down next to the young man. "Inside each of us is a little spark. It's slight in some and very large in others. It is a piece of our life that drives us forward and powers us on." The elder placed a finger on Yasuo's chest. "Here. This is where it is."

Yasuo looked down and saw the man's finger over his heart. "Elder, this is fantasy. You can't possibly-"

"Allow me to finish Yasuo," Seiku interrupted.

"Those who have very vast souls can sometimes 'share' if you will a part of themselves. If you were to gather many pieces of life from others, you could restore me."

"How many?" Yasuo asked, still working to not fall at the elder's feet again.

"Thirteen," Seiku said flatly.

"I must collect thirteen pieces of this 'life' to bring you back. And when I do, you will attest to my innocence?"

"Yes," the elder spoke. "But now, it is time for you to go. Remember Yasuo, you have the power within you. Take the essence from here," he said, pointing to Yasuo's heart.

Yasuo looked down and jumped. His body had begun to glow a luminescent green color. "Agh! What is happening?"

"I am giving you the power, Yasuo. When it is time, you have the strength to save me and to save yourself."

"Elder," I have questions! But before he could say anything else, a dark figure creeped into view. The figure was just shorter than Yasuo and was made of what appeared to be shadows. As he stared at the creature, Yasuo noticed what appeared to be a blade emerging from the figure's hand in the shape of a crooked sword.

"Elder! No!" Yasuo screamed as the shadow dashed at them and with a slash, Yasuo's dream abruptly ended.

"No!" Yasuo cried out in the black of the ship. But it was no use, the dream was gone. "Damn it!" Yasuo cursed, slumping back in the bunk. Quick footsteps came from outside the door and Sarah burst in.

"Who's looking to get shot?" she said, pointing her guns that Yasuo had come to know as, 'Shock and Awe' around the room.

"Nobody Sarah. Just a bad dream." Yasuo said, blushing lightly.

"Well," Fortune said uncomfortably, "That's awfully feely for you."

"I know. Its just this whole, whatever this is."

Sarah sat down on the bunk Yasuo who was still lying down. "Look, I'm gonna level with you and be serious for a second okay?" Yasuo nodded. "I've been there. When my mother was killed, I had nightmares too. I'd have stopped at nothing to find the killed. Hell, I'd have torn apart the world to figure that out." She paused for a moment and let out a soft sigh. "But you move on. It gets better."

"I understand I suppose."

"I'll help you however I can Yasuo. I may not be able to ditch my ship and run off to Noxus with you, but you can call me an ally. Alright? You aren't alone."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

Sarah stood up. "But until then, we have rum."

"Haha, yeah, we do," Yasuo grinned.

Sarah walked to the exit and turned at the door. "Sleep tight, Air Head."

"Air Head? That what we are calling me now?"

Sarah giggled and shut the door.

Yasuo sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering what to do next and what his dream meant. Settling on a plan, Yasuo said to himself ,"I guess we'll have to see if that 'life' thing really works…"

On the dock a figure with a lantern stood, looking at the ship with a smile on his wretched face, his yellow eyes peeking from beneath his tattered hood.

"Well, we certainly have figured out what makes you tick Yasuo, haven't we?" He chuckled to himself as his lantern lit the way off of the dock and into the distance, leaving only a chilly and dark night in his wake.


	4. The Titan of the Sea

Yasuo's next morning was a rather slow one. He awoke rather late from the night of troubling dreams and went back to the bar for an unfulfilling breakfast of peanuts and stale bread. Fortune was nowhere to be found. Yasuo checked her ship, the pubs around the general vicinity of port, and all nearby weapon stores. Nevertheless, she would not be found.

Yasuo resigned to his failure and went back to his bunk, getting frustrated with the woman who had promised to help him just the night before. There he waited for quite a long while, doing nothing and drifting in and out of consciousness. Minutes passed into hours and Yasuo thought of an idea, a letter to his brother. It would have to be carefully composed because if it fell into the wrong hands, he wouldn't want anyone knowing his plans.

_ 'Dear Yone,' Yasuo wrote. 'I write to you today with great sadness. Clearly by now, you have discovered what I was afraid to tell you when I left; the elder was killed by an air technique. While this is true, I assure you that I was not the one to murder Elder Seiku. I know all of the evidence points towards me but the Noxian Darius mentioned to me that an assassin was sent to kill the elder. As you know, that is my journey. I will not be returning to Ionia until I find he who is responsible for the murder and my name is cleared. I'm sorry that I brought all of this down on us both as I am sure you are dealing with a lot right now. I hear they are sending hunters after me with a high bounty. I fear for the future and I ask you discourage others from the quest for my head. While I do not want to hurt anybody, I will if they try to take me. Always remember brother, my heart lies at home with you and although my path leads elsewhere now, I believe my struggle will one day bring me home to you._

_ I love you Yone, my brother,_

_ Yasuo'_

Yasuo took his time signing the letter and placed his pen down on the table with conviction, picking up an old looking, crumpled envelope. He folded the parchment carefully and slipped it inside. Then he picked up the candle that lit the room. Carefully, he poured some of melted wax onto the envelope and let it harden. Lacking a seal, he decided that he couldn't make the splattered mess look any better and, once it was dry, placed it in his bag to be mailed later.

Yasuo left the ship and stepped onto the dock, intending to bring the letter to be mailed at the local inn but to his surprise, Sarah was walking his way with a crabby looking man with greying by her side. "Yasuo!" She exclaimed, making her way up to him.

"Hey, who's this?" Yasuo asked.

"The name's Remy," the man said, holding out a gruff hand. Yasuo shook hands with the man and looked him over, noticing dark bags under Remy's eyes and several days of scruff on his chin. Remy rolled up his tattered and dirty sleeves and stepped back.

"Remy is a friend of mine, a merchant slash privateer. More importantly, he has a shipment to Noxus coming up, and he owes me a favor."

Yasuo beamed at her and grinned. "Thank you very much Sarah." She shrugged in response.

"Yeah well, don't get used to it."

"I'll be waitin' by my ship when you're ready, right kid?"

Yasuo nodded and turned back to Sarah. "Really, thank you. You've done so much for me. I don't even understand why."

"You're like I was, a good person in a bad situation. I knew when I saw you that you were no murderer and I figure that if I couldn't find my mother's killer, I could at least help you find your elder's." She shifted around uncomfortably and nodded. Yasuo said nothing but took a step forward and hugged her. Begrudgingly, she hugged back. "Alright, I think you've lost me enough street cred around here as it is, Air Head, let me go!" she laughed.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Yasuo said, letting her go and stepping back.

"Anyway, I think Remy's waiting on you."

"Yeah, I suppose he is," Yasuo said, turning to go. But before he started to step away, he turned back. "Could you do me one more favor?"

Sarah smiled, "Yeah, I suppose. But you're sure racking up a lot of favors you owe me!"

"This one is small," Yasuo chuckled. "Can you mail this for me?"

"Yeah, of course," she said, taking the letter. Yasuo nodded and walked down the dock to where Remy's ship was waiting.

"Good luck Yasuo!" Miss Fortune called after him.

* * *

After a few days back at sea, Yasuo started getting restless and went to talk to Remy. "Hey Remy, what's going on?" Yasuo, casually grunted as he entered the captain's quarters.

"Actually, I am a little busy right now, friend. Something unusual is going on."

"What is it?"

Remy looked up from the map he was poring over. "I'm not completely sure. Just some reports of attacks in the area. Sailors been hearing a creaking metallic sound and then ships are attacked."

"Metallic sound?"

"Yeah," the captain said, "It's strange, I've never heard of anything like this."

"Pirates you think?"

"Nah, not pirates. This is worse. I've gone toe to toe with some pirates in my day, I even know a few personally. This thing, whatever it is, is a mystery. And I don't like mysteries."

"Sarah would think it was an adventure," Yasuo mused.

Remy coughed, "Yeah. Well I'm not your gunslinger lass." Just then, there was a yell from the deck.

"Captain! Come quick!"

Remy jumped up and dashed for the door, shoving Yasuo out of the way. "Move it! Move it!" The greying man dashed up the stairs and onto the deck where he found his crew gathered around one drenched and shivering man on the deck. "What's this?

"I don't know Captain," a messy looking man, kneeling next to the shivering man replied. "Found him in the water."

"He- he's coming" the quivering man stammered.

"Who is coming? Who are ya?" Remy inquired.

"I'm D-D-Donald Sculard, First mate on the W-White Nova. The metal man! He's coming! You've got to get out of here!"

"He's lost his marbles," the Captain muttered. "Take him inside, get him something warm to wear."

"Yes captain," a sailor said, taking Donald's arm and leading him inside.

"No! The metal man! He's coming. He'll rise from the sea! He'll kill us all!"

"Calm the man down. We'll be fine." Remy called to his crew. "Back to work with you lazy gamblers!" With that, the captain and Yasuo retreated back to his quarters.

"Nothing to worry about Captain?"

Remy didn't make eye contact but instead moved back to his map. "Sorry to break it to ya lad. But I think we're about to hear a metal creaking sound."

Yasuo groaned, "Of course this is happening the minute after I hear about it."

"It's fate I suppose," Remy scoffed.

"I'll fight," Yasuo said, gripping his sword tightly and trying to smile confidently for Remy's sake. Remy smirked.

"Yeah, I'm sure you will."

"I can! I am an Ionian war-" Yasuo was cut off by a slow, guttural groan from below the ship. It sounded almost like a blow horn.

The captain grit his teeth. "I think we're about to get into it, Friend. I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"Yeah, I do."

Yasuo dashed up the stairs to the deck where the men were in havoc. Many were rushing down below deck; others were preparing fishing spears or small swords to fight. Yasuo took a huge leap and grabbed onto a rope that connected the deck to one of the sails. He climbed up and stood on the sail mount, balancing himself against the wind. Again, a groan sounded from below the ship, this time Yasuo could feel it vibrating his body. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.

"Get ready!" Yasuo shouted. "Whatever this thing is, it'll be ready for you. Be brave, fight with fervor. Grant no quarter lest your enemy grant you none!" Yasuo's call fell upon deaf ears as the men still scrambled around nervously on the deck. Yasuo rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, a crashing sound came from the wood on the left side of the ship, the side further away from Yasuo and yet another loud sound echoed. Yasuo steadied himself and glared down where he assumed the origin of the sound would appear.

First over the edge of the deck was what looked like an anchor. "What the…" Yasuo murmured to himself. Next was a huge dome metal helmet with luminescent red eyes. A thickly gloved hand reached over and pulled up the rest of the monstrous metal SCUBA suit.

"I will return you to the depths…" hissed the monster as it picked up it's massive anchor and slung it over his shoulder. With that, it wrenched up the weight and flung it at a sailor, smashing him into the wooden deck with a crunching sound. Yasuo didn't need to see any more. He motioned with his sword and the wind shifted to Yasuo's back, making the following leap particularly impressive. Yasuo landed with a thud before the SCUBA man and pointed his sword at it.

"Leave this place. That's the only warning you are going to get." He said, glaring at his enemy.

The SCUBA man responded with a low, mad sounding laugh. "You do not scare me swordsman. I am Nautilus, the Titan of the Depths."  
"I don't care who you are, I'll kill you if you do not leave."

"You will try."

Yasuo's first stab was at Nautilus's chest and was easily deflected by a gloved hand. The anchor blocked the second.

"You cannot even hit me. How do you expect to kill me?"

Yasuo growled in frustration and sliced at Nautilus's torso, ripping away some of the thick fabric that connected the metal exoskeleton around him. "Raagh!" Nautilus roared and he knocked Yasuo away. The anchor flew at Yasuo, slamming him against the base of the sail. Yasuo cried out in agony and fell to his knees as the anchor was pulled back to the thrower's arm. Again the anchor flew at Yasuo, slamming him to the ground this time. "You are no match…" A third time, the anchor came to slam down on Yasuo. This time Yasuo was ready. He rolled right and dodged the anchor, quickly hopping to his feat and slicing at the chain on the anchor. 'CRACK!' With that, the chain broke. Nautilus roared in anger, throwing his side of the chain to the ground and lumbering his way over to Yasuo. The air master charged back at Nautilus and slid on his knee, delivering a strike to his knee. Nautilus toppled over, unable to maintain balance under the heavy weight of his armor. Finally, Yasuo placed a foot on Nautilus's back and slid his sword into a chink in the SCUBA armor. Nautilus roared in pain.

"That's it for you," Yasuo said. He was about to deliver the killing blow when it hit him. This was a powerful being, a perfect candidate to test Seiku's life technique on. He nudged the limp body over so that Nautilus was lying on his back and placed a hand on the titan's chest. Focusing on his Elder's words he willed Nautilus's power to reveal itself. Then, as if by magic, a green orb floated up from the Titan's chest and into Yasuo's hand. Yasuo's palm glowed brightly for a moment but it faded back to normal.

All of a sudden, Yasuo felt strong, like he could do anything. He smiled to himself. "One down, twelve to go."

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading chapter 4! Sorry if there's any typos. I got excited and wrote this all in one go. I hope you enjoyed! Chapter 5 coming very very soon!


	5. Noxian Hospitality

It wasn't long after Yasuo pushed Nautilus's body off the edge of the boat before people started to ask questions. The crew was restless. Constantly there was talk of Yasuo using black magic or even being part god! Yasuo refused to answer any questions about himself or how he defeated the titan and kept himself below deck for most of the rest of the journey, only freeing himself from his cell like quarters to eat or get a breath of fresh air.

Remy knew well enough not to ask any questions. Sarah had made that one of the conditions when cashing in her favor. Nevertheless, he was more than happy to give the man who saved his ship, his crew, and his life some privacy. Yasuo liked Remy, never intrusive, never foolish, and always shrewd and on the lookout for trouble.

When the ship entered Noxian waters, Yasuo prepared himself to fight and sat below decks with his sword out and ready. But the call to battle never came. Instead, Yasuo was left in the candlelight alone as Remy expertly weaved through the Noxian military blockades and patrols. This was near torture to Yauso. He could not get his mind off of home. He wondered if Yone had received his letter yet and what he would think of it when he received it. He hoped more than anything that Yone would believe him. Nothing else really mattered.

* * *

After about a week on the water, Remy called down. "Land ho! Noxus is in sight! Let's take her in boys!" A cheer resonated from everyone on the ship but Yasuo remained silent in his bunk, scowling at the door and dreading Noxus. At home there were stories about Noxus. It was the home of gladiators, power hungry warlords, and assassins. Their leader Swain was said to hold fighting tournaments in a pit for money. This disgusted Yasuo. Killing was to be done in a time of need- or so the Ionian masters had told him. Fighting was supposed to be done to protect something, not seek fortune. However, remembering this teaching only brought more conflict to Yasuo's mind as he himself had enjoyed the thrill of battle. Perhaps that was why Darius said he would make a good Noxian. Yasuo despised the mere concept of being a Noxian. But, as much as he hated the idea of going to such a place, there was no place better to seek a killer.

An hour later, Yasuo stepped off the ship for the last time and shook the hand of a very distracted Remy, who was dealing with his crew at the time. Yasuo didn't bother to stick around and made his way into the city.

Darkness plagued the skyline of the massive city-state and hundreds upon hundreds of spires rose up like blades of grass from the town below. One rose up particularly high in the middle, situated atop the hill upon which the whole city was built. It was twice as wide around as any of the others and probably three times as tall. This was the fortress in which Swain resided.

Swain was the Grand General of Noxus who led a dictator-like government despite the efforts of his rivals to seize power or assassinate him. It was well known that he had a mutant bird as a pet too, but this seemed to Yasuo as much a legend as an actual fact. In the stories, Swain had gained his notoriety in Noxus by leading several successful battles in Ionia and slaughtering thousands of Yasuo's people. There was nobody that Ionians feared more. Yasuo left his gaze upon this mighty tower for but a moment as he continued on into the city.

Yasuo figured that he would need money as he had been robbed blind by TF in the bar in Bilgewater. He searched around to see if anyone was offering small jobs that he could do while in town. Nothing.

Just as Yasuo got hungry from walking around for hours he noticed a bakery that was offering free samples.

"Guess that's my only option," Yasuo grunted to himself as he stepped inside. The inside of the bakery was all black, white, and red and the temperature inside was extremely hot. "Ugh, why is it so hot?" Yasuo said, walking up to the counter and looking at the sample platter.

"How else am I supposed to bake?" a voice said from around the corner behind the counter. Yasuo peered around the corner and found a startling sight. A pale woman dressed in purple was baking cookies over a roaring bright red flame. However, none of that was what Yasuo was shocked at. The woman had huge black-feathered wings coming from her back and arching up above her head, long thin fingers with nails like small daggers, and glowing purple eyes.

"Uh, hi," Yasuo said awkwardly, not knowing how to respond to the scene playing out in front of him.

"Give me a hand here for a sec," the woman said, rushing from the fire to a bowl where she started furiously stirring. "Stir this for me for a minute, will you?"  
Yasuo stepped the rest of the way into the room and carefully walked over to the bowl where the woman stood, holding the wooden spoon out to him.

"Any time now!" she said, shaking the spoon. "My cookies will burn!" she said angrily.

"Yeah, sorry," Yasuo said, grabbing the spoon and starting to stir. "Who are you?"

"I am Morgana. I own this place."

"This place?"  
"Sinful Succulence? You know, the bakery you're in?" She growled, annoyed by Yasuo's ignorance. "Don't you read the sign before you come into shops?"

"Well, usually yeah, but I-"

"Stir!"

"Alright!" Yasuo said, picking up the pace. Morgana then reached straight into the crimson blaze with her bare hand and plucked the cookies out. Yasuo gaped. "What? How'd you do that?" Yasuo inquired, still staring at her unscathed hands.

"I don't get hurt by my own fire," she shrugged. "Just how my people are."

"What demons?" Yasuo smirked, gesturing to her black wings.

Morgana's already angry expression turned to one of absolute rage as she darted across the room and grabbed Yasuo's throat, conjuring a flame in her other hand. The flame came horribly close to Yasuo's face, causing a burning sensation on his cheek. "Don't you ever call me that," Morgana hissed.

Yasuo put his hands up. "I was only kidding. Please get that away from me!" Morgana released him and extinguished the flame.

"You're right, I shouldn't have flames around you. I you might just burst into flames yourself."

Yasuo raised an eyebrow at the peculiar comment. "Yeah, things get set on fire…"

Morgana smirked, "I mean you reek of alcohol." Yasuo brought some of the fabric from his shirt to his nose and took a whiff.

"Yeah, I suppose I do," he admitted. Morgana let out a slightly unnerving cackle of laughter.

"Here," she said, tossing him a cookie. It was charcoal black and entirely burned. Yasuo held it and stared for a moment, not wanting to take a bite and weighing that against the fear of Morgana's anger if he didn't eat it. Making his decision, he slowly brought the cookie to his lips, still unsure. "Just eat it. It's good."

Yasuo eyed her for a moment to see if she was trying to trick him. The first bite was quite surprising. It crumbled in his mouth as soon as he bit into it and the charred cookie didn't taste charred at all. It was actually delicious! It tasted of dark chocolate and cream. Yasuo closed his eyes for a second and enjoyed it, letting out a slight groan in the enjoyment. Morgana stifled a laugh and put out her fire.

"What's your name?"

"Yasuo," he stammered between bites.

"Hungry much?"

Yasuo nodded, "Yeah, I'm dirt poor so I haven't eaten all day."

Morgana eyed him suspiciously. "For someone who claims to be poor you sure have a nice sword on your belt."

Yasuo finished the last bite of the cookie and licked his finger clean of the chocolate. "You might say I'm a bit of a wanderer. I don't have much of an income."

Morgana nodded solemnly. "I see. Well, if you need cash there's a tournament tomorrow for seven hundred gold."

"I don't like fighting for money," Yasuo replied shortly.

Morgana shrugged. "Well if you need money, that's probably the best you can do. "

Yasuo begrudgingly nodded. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice."

Morgana smiled widely for the first time since they met, "You know what, I'll sponsor you! There's a ten gold entrance free. I'll cover it if you agree to put me down as your sponsor."

"I suppose that would be fine with me. But can't I get a job in town or something?"

Morgana shook her head, "Nobody is going to hire a non-Noxian! Are you kidding?"

"Wait, how do you-?"

"You don't look like a Noxian. You don't display your sword proudly, you aren't wearing Noxian colors, and you aren't a military man. At least not one of ours."

Yasuo glanced down at his light grey shirt. "Okay, well you're saying nobody in Noxus wears lighter colors?"

Morgana shook her head. "I think you'll find we are fairly uniform. Anyway, you gonna fight or not?"

"I guess I have to," Yasuo agreed.

"Great! Then tomorrow, I'll show you to the sign ups and give you the gold to enter. Oh, and just so you know, you'll probably die. The champion, Draven, he hasn't lost a match in two months. He's also a crowd favorite."

"Great," Yasuo grunted, "I'm starting to get used to almost certain death."

* * *

Author's notes: Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; I've already got the next one near completion as well. Thank you to those of you who left reviews! I really enjoyed reading them. And as always, thank you to Diovolo, without whom this story would not be written.


	6. Crowd Pleaser

"Time to go Yasuo," Morgana said, kicking the sleeping man on the curb outside the bakery.

"Wh-What?" he said, waking with a jolt and knocking over the half empty bottle of ale beside him. The contents spilled across the sidewalk.

"You had enough to drink or you want to be drunk during the fight too?" Morgana said, putting her hand on her hip and glaring down at Yasuo scrambling around on the floor.

"I'll be fine Morgana, just give us a sec'," Yasuo spluttered, pushing himself up by his sheathed sword.

"Did you sleep here?"

"We'll, I didn't exactly have anywhere else to go did I?" Yasuo retorted, "But quit barking, I'll be fine. I've fought in worse condition."

"Good, then let's go. First fights start in an hour." Before Yasuo was even walking strait, Morgana was out the door and walking down the dark street.

"What time is it?" Yasuo asked, looking down the block, filled with orange lanterns.

"Nine o'clock," Morgana spat back, still sounding angry.

"In the morning?"  
"Yes, now move!" Yasuo let the tone of her response pass and sped up in silence.

* * *

It wasn't long before Morgana had paid Yasuo's entrance fee and left him to fill out a sign in sheet. It asked for his name, his age, his weapon, his place of origin, and his sponsor. He knew not to write his place of origin but another tough answer was his name. He couldn't just write Yasuo. Alone he sat for a few minutes thinking about it. But before long he put pen to paper. Yasuo knew just what to write.

* * *

A couple hours later, Yasuo found himself behind an iron gate in arena, watching two combatants got at it. The fight lasted but a moment as one of them blocked two slashes from the attackers sword with his twin axes and promptly drove one into the swordsman's chest.

"Aaaaaaaand that's the end of that one folks! That is four in a row this morning from the amazing Draven! Let's hear it for him folks!"

Yasuo rolled his eyes. "That's the guy I have to fight?"

Just then, the iron gate started to lift. "And now, for the final match of the day, a foreign fighter sponsored by Noxus's very own Sinful Succulence Bakery! His real name is unknown but we like to call him 'The Wanderer!'" Yasuo smiled to himself, pleased with his new fighting name and stepped through the gate into the dirt arena to thunderous applause. The dark stone stands surrounding him housed thousands of cheering fans. Some smiled and cheered while others let out battle cries and roared for blood, but most were chanting in unison. "DRAVEN! DRAVEN! DRAVEN! DRAVEN!" After a quick look around, Yasuo laid his eyes on his opponent who was coincidentally also chanting his own name. The man's crooked grin and battle scars could not hide one absolute truth about him. He was a man in love, man in love with himself.

Draven twirled his axes between his fingers and cheered back at the crowd. The announcer called over the roar of the crowd "And of course, your favorite and mine! You know him as the gladiator, the great slayer, and the brother of Noxus's most notorious general. You know him, you love him! It's Draven!

"Raaaah! How about we make that five in a row, eh Noxus?!" Draven shouted out to the audience.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Yasuo replied unsheathing his sword and pointing it at his target.

Draven let out a laugh. "Start the match! This one wants to go down fast!"

"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" the announcer replied.

Like lightning, the first axe in Draven's hand spun up and was hurled at the Wanderer. Yasuo flicked his sword to the side and knocked the axe away. The force of the throw was incredible and sent vibrations through Yasuo's sword to his arm, almost making him drop his blade. Even after knocking away Draven's first axe, Yasuo was overwhelmed by the sheer force of the second. As if each time Draven threw that axe he threw it with all his pride, to which Yasuo was uncertain which weighed more, his axe or his ego.

"I don't think he can take much more! Do you Noxus?" Draven shouted to the fans. The second axe bounced off of Yasuo's sword high into the air and down into Draven's hand. "Yeah!" Draven cheered to himself, plucking his other axe up off of the ground.

"Okay, I've had enough of this," Yasuo growled, charging at Draven. Draven was taken by surprise for a moment but only a moment. As Yasuo's first swing came past Draven's face he saw his opponent's expression turned from an expression of excitement and confidence into a stone cold expression of experience, the look of a killer. Draven gracefully dodged the swing and kicked at Yasuo's feet, knocking him to the ground, face first.

Yasuo rolled over in time for Draven to kick him in his face. There was a nasty cracking sound and blood started to obscure Yasuo's vision. "Ugh…"

Draven in the meantime was bowing to the crowd and proclaiming his victory already. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a smug, oddly charismatic voice sneered. Yasuo gazed up to have his eyes meet the sinister grin of a man with a moustache that Yasuo had to admit was quite impressive.

He strolled forward, his arms raised to the sky to meet a roaring crowd chanting, "Draven! Draven! Draven!"

"And now," Draven announced to the stadium, "My fifth victory!" With that, he gave a mighty toss to his axe, sending it up high into the air over a bloodied and dazed Yasuo. Draven didn't even bother watching, knowing his aim was perfect with his axes and turned to wave at his cheering fans.

Yasuo couldn't move away in time, he was injured and dizzy; incapable of moving. Instead he swung his blade up over himself, muttering in ancient Ionian. As Yasuo commanded, the wind came to his aid, creating an invisible barrier between him and the axe. The axe fell upon the wind wall and was swept away, spinning directly into the back of a still jeering Draven.

Draven's joyous laughter ended abruptly, as did the applause and chanting from the crowd when he noticed the blood dripping down his back and onto his legs. A look of shock and pain crossed his face as his knees hit the dirt.

By this time, Yasuo had stumbled to his feet and over to his helpless opponent. "Not so confident now are we?" he whispered in Draven's ear. At last, Yasuo placed a hand gently over the gladiator's heart and extracted the green aura. "Don't worry Draven," Yasuo murmured, "I'm not going to kill you."

Draven looked like he was going to be sick for a moment as he blinked and babbled incoherently at the green energy being pulled from his chest. Yasuo didn't wait to see if Draven was alright or not and hit him on the back of the head with his sword, knocking him unconscious in the dirt.

Yasuo looked around to see the reaction of Draven's fans and his eyes fell upon a man seated in a golden box near the front row. The man had a black, six-eyed bird on his shoulder and Yasuo could only assume that this was Swain. A pang of anger struck through his heart and he wanted nothing more that to go kill swain where he stood but Yasuo was smarter than that. He turned and addressed the stadium as a whole.

"And now my prize if you will!" Yasuo shouted to the coliseum. For a moment, there was silence. But then the announcer spoke up. "It appears we have an underdog ladies and gentlemen! Make some noise for your new champion, The Wanderer!"

The Noxians were dead silent. Not a sound was made in the whole stadium. To this, Yasuo shrugged and walked back to his iron gate grabbing a bag of gold from a stunned looking official before making his way up the steps and back through the coliseum exit onto the street. The walk back to the bakery was lonely and dark in the barely noticeable light of mid-day.

None of this mattered. It was for money and Yasuo took no pleasure in it. In fact, he cursed himself for stooping so low as to take part in it. Nevertheless, he did get another piece of the thirteen out of it and a look at Swain.

"That's it," Yasuo muttered to himself, "I bet Swain will know who the assassin was."

Yasuo was about to round the doorstep back into Sinful Succulence when he noticed something odd. There was a single yellow lantern on a roof above all of the standard orange ones that were spaced throughout Noxus. Yasuo squinted at it and saw a rather short figure wearing rags with yellow eyes watching him. Noticing that it has been seen it started to walk away, lantern swaying in the wind.

"Well that's weird."

* * *

Author's Notes: Thanks everyone for the kind reviews and Umbree, thanks for pointing that out! I fixed the end of chapter 4 now. Anyway, now you know how I write when I'm tired.

The next chapter is coming real soon! Thank you to everyone who has read this far, the support has been amazing. I am so excited the share the story further because the plot will only thicken from here!


	7. The Grand General

When Yasuo got back to Sinful Succulence, he simply left a thank you note for his Sponsor before gathering up his bag and taking off. Now that he had money, Yasuo could afford a reasonable inn and a meal. He relished the taste of food that wasn't preserved with salt for weeks before being cooked.

As Yasuo paid for his meal he heard a call from outside. A man wearing official looking black noble's clothes and a red cap was shouting to the street. "Grand General Swain invites you all to a rally starting in twenty minutes at the Grand Spire's steps!" Yasuo left a few extra gold on the table and went outside.

"Swain is having a rally?"

"Yes sir. The Grand General wishes to make announcements to do with Demacia."

Yasuo did not like hearing this. Noxus was constantly in conflict with another city-state from the other side of the continent called Demacia. Demacians fancied themselves to be the champions of justice and all things good. While Yasuo didn't go quite as far as to think of them like that, he certainly preferred Demacians to Noxians. If Swain was having a rally, Yasuo could bet that it was to do with attacking Demacia. Taking no interest in this, Yasuo though initially that he would not go but then he had an idea. If Swain was at the rally, that would be as good of a chance as he would ever get to talk to the leader of Noxus and find out about the assassin.

Yasuo didn't really have a plan beyond asking for the truth and he figured that it wouldn't matter if he had one. Swain wouldn't confess anything that he did not want to confess and if Swain wouldn't help him find the killer, the trail would be cold. Swain killing him would simply quicken the timing because without Swain's information, Ionia would kill him. It was an all or nothing situation.

On the way to the rally Yasuo thought of another bright idea. He might want to buy a new cloak. It would help him fit in in Noxus and it would keep him warm on his way back to Ionia after he found the assassin in Noxus. Yasuo found a shop and decided on a pitch-black cloak with a deep hood that tied around the collar area and fell like a cape at his back and around his shoulders.

The rest of the way to the rally was not long and the roads were filled with people babbling on about Swain's glory and Demacia's foolish leadership. This city truly was brainwashed as to the rest of the world, no doubt about that.

Upon reaching the rally, Yasuo drew his hood over his head and obscured his face with shadow. He found a place in the crowd with relative ease and listened to the speaker, an official for a few minutes. He did not really have anything interesting to say but after he finished, Swain stepped up to the podium with two identical cloaked, pale skinned women with mage staffs in his wake.

"Greetings, citizens of Noxus. As you know, I am Swain, Grand General of Noxus. It is my pleasure to speak to you today of the future; the future of Noxus and the lack of a future Demacia. In the coming months we will begin a barrage of assaults upon Demacia that will force them to respond. When they do, we will be ready. Our best soldiers are preparing even now for the glorious battle that will lead us to supremacy." Swain paused for a moment as the citizens cheered in agreement. "With Demacia on the offense, we will be able to better find and target their weak points. In order to destroy this beast, we must first lure it out of its cowardly hiding place. Our brave General Darius has ceased his siege of Ionia and taken his talents west to Demacia's front door! He will be engaging them in battle within the coming weeks! I urge you to prepare to serve your purpose in Noxus very soon as we will require every man woman and child's aid in defeating our enemy. But I assure you, my citizens. We will be victorious." As he delivered the final line, his demonic looking crow let out a shrill, cold cry into the dark skies. The women behind Swain simultaneously began to clap politely for Swain and the crowd followed suit. Swain lifted one hand into the air and left the podium. Right on queue, the official ran back up to the stage and began to speak again. Yasuo did not care what he had to say so he turned and skirted the edge of the crowd, following Swain.

Swain and the women left the rally and turned onto a main street. Yasuo made sure not to get too close and followed. Swain and his entourage continued on, stopping to shake hands with various important looking people. Yasuo avoided making eye contact with anyone, wrapping himself in the cloak tightly. Swain took a left off of the street, back towards the spire and his cloaked pursuer hurried in an effort not to lose sight of the trio.

Yasuo rounded the corner and was immediately hit in the throat by a scepter and pressed against the wall, the cold cane like scepter putting intense pressure on his neck. Swain ginned at Yasuo, a crazed look in his redish eyes. "Who are you?"

Yasuo coughed and clutched the scepter with both hands, trying to push it off. Swain was deceptively strong for his frail appearance and dug the cane in further. "I just had a question!" Yasuo choked out.

"Then ask. Then, I will dispose of you," Swain laughed, holding out the cane to one of the women. "LeBlanc, take this." The black haired woman stepped up and grabbed it. "And get rid of your double. No need to carry on the illusion just for this filth's sake." She nodded and touched the shoulder of the other woman. Yasuo stared in awe as the second woman started to dissolve into smoke before his eyes.

"Who is she?"

"A trained killer of Noxus, my right hand, and a political titan of Noxus. But don't mind her now, you have me to deal with. What do you want?"

Yasuo thought for a moment of what to say but figured a direct approach might help in talking to the man he obviously couldn't fool. "I'm looking for an assassin who killed my village elder in Ionia."

"You've come all this way for one little assassin? I have a thousand assassins."

"They are blaming me for the elder's death. I need to find him."

Swain looked Yasuo up and down for a minute, sizing him up but then spoke. "Alright. Well as it happens, I do know of the assassin who killed an Ionian elder. In fact, they worked for me directly for some time."

Yasuo's spirits lifted. "Really?" But then it hit him. "You aren't going to tell me where he is are you?"

Swain turned away from Yasuo for a moment. "I wish I could. I want the assassin dead too. But they fled Noxus a week ago. However, I am not without mercy. I will let you go and find the killer."

"You just want me to do your dirty work," Yasuo accused.

"Does it matter why I am letting you go?" Swain said, turning back abruptly.

"I suppose not," Yasuo admitted. "Thank you for your help." Swain shrugged and walked away, signaling LeBlanc to follow.

Back at the inn Yasuo sat at a tiny wooden desk and thought. "Where does someone go if they are on the run?" Yasuo sat and considered this for a moment before realizing the irony of the question. "Rather, where would a Noxian run to?" Yasuo pondered this a while. "Not Demacia or Ionia, nobody in either city would take in an assassin of Noxus. Maybe they'd go south to the desert or the jungle. But how would he get past the Great Barrier? And beyond that, why bother?" No, the assassin wouldn't have gone south. "Where would I go if I wanted a new start in a neutral place?" Yasuo thought for a while and was about to give up but then "That's it! Piltover!" Piltover was a mostly neutral city-state to the far north, known for their amazing technology and innovations. They had a beautiful golden city and were not at war with any other city. It was the perfect place for a new start.

Yasuo wasted no time and filled his bag with food and supplies for the long journey ahead. He also went to buy a horse for the travels but found them all requisitioned by the Noxian military for war purposes. Yasuo did not much like the idea of going to Piltover on foot but he didn't appear to have a choice.

Yasuo was ready to go but before he set out he decided to write to Yone again.

_Dear Yone,_

_ I have been on the run for a long time now. The road is cold and often lonely. As you might assume, the blade makes poor company for a long road. I'm on the way though. I know where my travels will take me next and there is still a golden light at the end of this long lonely path. I believe know where the assassin is headed next. I am sorry that I cannot tell you where that is or detail it any further but again, I can't risk someone else opening this mail. I hope to write to you again soon brother. Until then, I send my love._

_ Yauso_

After he had finished writing, Yasuo was not entirely satisfied with the letter but it would have to do for now. The road was calling. Yasuo asked the inn to mail the letter and then left Noxus through the front gates and headed north to his journey's next stop.

From high in his tower Swain watched the gates open and Yasuo step out. "Do you think he knows the bounty on his head has gone up to five thousand gold?" LeBlanc asked.

"No," Swain replied, "but that will make watching his progress all the more interesting."

* * *

Author's Notes: Get ready for a weird chapter 8. I promise that it won't be like any other chapter (at least for a long time) so if it rubs you wrong, don't worry! Here's what you get to know now: It will be called "The Wanderer and the Wind."

Thanks for reading as always and thanks to everyone for the continuing support.


	8. The Wanderer and the Wind

The Man and the Wind

The way of the wanderer is the way of the wind, ever flowing, ever changing. Although the wanderer does not claim to command the wind, he lucky enough to have made its ally. The wanderer knows not where their journey will take him and knows not who, if any follow in his wake. What the wanderer does know is why he does what he does, why he would trek through the bitter cold, the sweltering heat, the pouring rain, and the driest of desert to reach their destination. It is to be free as the wind. For when the wanderer is tamed, should they be captured, cornered, blocked, or beaten, the wind will always be by their side because they are never separate. The wanderer knows wind as he knows himself. The inseparable pair will venture to the furthest reaches, every crack and crevice in search of their final resting point, the sacred place where wind ceases, where journeys end, and where legends are born.

* * *

For a full month Yasuo walked towards Piltover, walking a road riddled with beasts, traps, and bandits. Every challenge was overcome one by one, each leaving its scar. But as the days dragged on, Yasuo felt further and further from his goal and very alone. There were few friendly faces on the path to Piltover and Yasuo ached for contact with a friend- or really anyone who wasn't out to kill him. Sarah, Remy, Morgana, and Yone haunted his dreams each night and headaches plagued his mornings.  
In solitude he walked, sword in hand for miles upon miles, bottles rolling around in his bag. The black cloak, purchased in Noxus, had been torn in many places and worn out. His clothes were caked in dust and mud. The young escapee had long since passed away to be replaced by a man of the road.  
Sometimes Yasuo would pass towns and stop for food or a night's rest. Mostly, the visits were quiet and short but one such visit proved to be just the opposite.  
Yasuo sat one day in a pub, drinking his cares away when the door opened with a slam and an enormous man lumbered his way in with two smaller men on his heels. "I'm looking for an Ionian criminal by the name of Yasuo," he shouted to the bar's patrons, "Any of you seen him?"  
Yasuo stood up and placed his bottle on the table, turning to face a man he recognized. He was Enso, the strongest man in Ionia, a man who Yasuo visited in his fateful dream of Seiku. "I may have seen him," Yasuo sneered.  
Enso loudly laughed, unsheathing his massive sword from over his shoulder. "I didn't see you there Yasuo. And to think, you could have just sat there with that hood up and we'd have moved on! You could have run off!"  
Yasuo smiled, looking down at his drink. "I have no intention of running Enso."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah," Yasuo said, taking a swig of his drink.  
"You ready then? You surrendering?" The massive hunter inquired confusedly? "Not in the slightest," Yasuo smirked.  
"Then what are you going to do?"  
Yasuo unsheathed his own sword and kicked aside his chair. "I'm going to kill you." He let those words sit for a moment before continuing. "Everyone else, if you don't want to be a part of this I suggest you find a new dive."  
Those few who were still left in the bar got up and evacuated past Enso. "You ready, killer?" Enso goaded.  
"Whenever you are."  
Enso nodded at his cronies and the stepped forward, brandishing blades. Yasuo laughed. "You are going to send these two to do your job? Come now Enso, I thought you were a warrior."  
"Consider me your executioner."  
"Coward."  
Enso flared his nostrils. "Kill him now!" As commanded, the duo came forward and readied themselves.  
"Really?" Yasuo snickered, picking up his drink again advanced further. They looked nervous but continued stepping forward. With haste, Yasuo smashed his bottle against the head of the one on the right and jabbed the broken bottle into the neck of the second. Both fell over instantaneously, a pool of blood ebbing out from them.  
"You killed two more Ionians. They will be the last," Enso growled through gritted teeth.  
"That's right, coward. You let your men die instead of stepping forward with them. I never wanted Ionian blood on my hands, but your death does serve a purpose to me. You're number three." "Three?"  
"Three."  
Enso did not wait to hear what that meant and charged at Yasuo who swiftly swung upwards, conjuring a strong gust of wind to toss Enso onto his back. Yasuo swung down, making the wind hold the man down and then stepped onto his prey's chest, placing his hand on Enso's chest. "Let me go!" Enso, roared.  
"Not today. I'm fresh out of mercy for fools."  
Enso had a look of pain in his eyes as he spoke the following words. "You are not the same man who left Ionia."  
Yasuo shook his head. "No, I'm not. One does not follow the road I have, survive a month on this path without forfeiting some of their humanity. "  
"I will not be the last. They will follow you into the hands of death to bring you to justice."  
With that, Yasuo took the green orb from Enso and slid his sword in-between the helpless man's ribs.  
Exiting the bar, Yasuo noticed a crowd outside, all staring at him. As Yasuo edged out towards the street they back away, clearing a path. There was no need to stay longer. There was not a person in the town that would stop him from leaving; but now there was fear in Yasuo's wake.

* * *

Author's notes (Lengthy edition): thanks for reading this chapter, as always.  
I also wanted to respond to a review left by wojwym. The review goes painstakingly through the lore which was clearly well researched and makes a lot of good points but I want to remind readers that this is a fan fiction. I am taking a lot of creative liberty in this story and I'm not writing it to be perfectly accurate. If I think that it would be fun to put Morgana in a bakery in Noxus, I will. These aren't mistakes, they are just for fun.  
Also, to answer a question I've had asked a few times, yes I've heard about Riven and I promise I'll address it as well as the rest of Yasuo's lore. It's great to have readers that know the lore and can speculate! One last time I have to say, this is still being written because of the amazing feedback I've had and the enormous amount of fun I've had doing it. Thank you!


	9. The Night Thief

Yasuo kept walking for many more days, sword in hand and mind a long way away. The road continued to challenge him but he had not come across another Ionian hunter so things could be worse.

After another week of travel, Yasuo found himself in a small town. The sign at the entrance to the town read "Welcome to Borvia, population 5520." This didn't look like a very promising stop but it was as good a place as any else he would reach that day so Yasuo headed in to find a place to stay. Across the town as he walked, Yasuo kept running into the same poster over and over. It had a picture of a thin man with dark hair that fell over his face and said "Wanted for Assault and six robberies, the Night Thief five hundred gold." Yasuo smirked at the name and made his way further into thown. The sun was starting to go down now so he found an inn quickly and entered. "I need a room for the night."

The old lady innkeeper was playing a wooden flute behind the font desk but looked up skeptically through thick lenses and said, "Best not stay in this town right now young man. Our neighbor down the street got robbed last night and another was robbed before them. Up to six now. In fact, the second one was almost a murder as well. It would be safer to keep walking. "

Yasuo laughed a little bit. "I'm staying. I'm not afraid of some random robber."

The woman handed Yasuo and accepted some gold in payment before directing him to his room. "You are very brave but I'm going to lock down the Inn for the night now. Nobody else in or out."

About to close the door, Yasuo stopped. "Did you make that flute?"

"Actually," the old lady replied, "my late husband did. And it's called a shakuhachi"

Yasuo squinted at the instrument for a moment and shook his head. "No, I'm not going to remember that."

The woman laughed, "Enjoy your stay."

Yasuo nodded in response and closed the door on her without another word. He sprawled out on the bed and dropped his sword on the ground to the side. It was not long until he was swept into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Yasuo was awoken by a loud knock on the door. He staggered over to open it, rubbing his eyes. "What is it?" At the door was the old woman who ran the inn.

"There was a killing last night. That bandit is still on the loose. I am closing the inn."

Yasuo grabbed his bag, sword, and cloak, placing the tattered fabric over his shoulders. "I'll go then."

The woman nodded and let him pass out of the inn and onto the street. The main dirt road going through the town was abandoned entirely. Yasuo headed down the street but noticed soon something in his way in the distance. There was a large fence at the entrance to the town blocking the road. Walking up to the gate, he noticed as well a sheriff standing guard.

"I need to go."

The sheriff stepped in front of Yasuo, putting a clumsily bandage-wrapped hand up to stop his movement. "I can't let you go. We can't let anyone run off. There's been a murder. It is one of the couple thousand people who live here."

"Get out of my way."

The sheriff shook his head. Pease sir. I need you to stay put until this is dealt with. I want to catch this thieving scum more than anyone."

"This is ridiculous. You can't keep me here. What if you never solve this?"

"I can't let you go now. But if there isn't a problem again soon, I will. This filthy scoundrel needs to be brought to justice!"

Yasuo weighed his options. On one hand, he wanted to leave and could kill this man to get past if he had to. Yet on the other, Yasuo still knew that he should not kill an innocent man for doing his job. The only reason he killed Enso outright like that was because if he hadn't, Enso would have killed him later, but this sheriff was no threat.

Yasuo settled on a plan before saying another word to the man before him. He would just escape the town at night and continue on his way. "Fine. I'll stay."

* * *

The rest of the day was spent roaming the town. There was not much to see and soon the hot day turned into an inky night. The moon shining over Borvia cast long shadows from the buildings and coated everything in a white glow. Yasuo continued walking the streets of the city for a few hours in large circles, often passing the same place several times over.

On one lap around the city, Yasuo paused. Something was wrong. He turned around sharply, his hand going to his sword instinctively. "Who's there?" Nothing responded but a light breeze whisping through the wooden buildings. Yasuo could sense something was there, even if it didn't respond to him. "Come out now, or I will end your life on sight." Yasuo stood there, crouching into a defensive stance. For a moment nothing happened. But then, a figure clothed in black with a hood obscuring their face stepped out of the shadows behind one of the buildings. Yasuo raised his sword. "Who are you?" The figure stepped closer, putting their hands up.

"I'm not armed, please don't hurt me."

Yasuo glared at the man as he looked up, revealing his pale, thin face. His eyes were very heavy and he had clearly not shaven within the last several days. He also probably hadn't eaten anything. "Who are you?"

"I'm a thief, people are calling me the Night Thief."

"Oh good, the killer. I suppose the reward for your head will be mine!" Yasuo said, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the man across from him.

The Night Thief stepped back, hands shaking in the air as he did. "Please don't! I'm innocent of that! I stole things, but that's it! I never hurt anyone!"

Yasuo paused. "Why should I believe you!"

"I'm surrendering aren't I? I'm unarmed aren't I? Please sir, I'll do anything you ask! It wasn't me! I was set up!"

"Tell me what happened."

The theif slowly lowered his hands. "Well you see, I've got a family. We're starving here! I needed some extra money to feed my little girl so I stole money form a few of the richer people in town. But after my robbery last night, the guy I stole from turned up dead from being hit with a glass figurine! He was a rich retired criminal! There was no proof that he did anything so he was never arrested but we all know it! The sheriff has been trying to arrest him for years now!"

"Yes, the sheriff did seem like a bit of a zealot when I talked to him."

The thief nodded, "So you believe me?" Yasuo did not answer but started to lower his weapon. "Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret this, I swear. I'll go with you, accept punishment for my thefts."

"Just tell me this, why should I believe you? Why should I trust that it was not you? The evidence says you were there last night, that you stole from the man. Why should I not believe that he caught you and you killed him to get away?"

"Because I'm promising you sir. I am no killer. Please believe me."

Yasuo stood there and looked at the defenseless man before him. He took a deep breath and then lunged. His sword cut clean through the man's chest and out the other side. The man's mouth gaped open in shock and terror as he fell to his knees. Yasuo then placed a foot on the man's shoulder and pushed him off of the blade onto the ground. "No, I don't believe you."

The next morning, Yasuo took the body down to the sheriff's office and turned it in, accepting his payment.

"All seems in order, this is the man we were looking for I believe." Yasuo nodded and turned to go, taking a bag of gold from the sheriff's bandaged hand, which Yasuo noticed was now yellowing with infection. He paused.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you wearing a bandage?"

"I got cut on some glass at the crime scene yesterday, why?"

"Because if I got cut on some glass at a crime scene, I'd go to a doctor to get it stitched rather than bandaging it myself."

The sheriff shrugged, "So?"

"So I heard that you didn't like the man who was killed last night, the criminal."

"Well yeah, he was the no good scum that preys on the innocent, just like our thieving killer here," he said, gesturing at the thin body before him.

"So, I think that cut is a few hours older than you say it is. I think, you killed the criminal last night, not the thief."

The sheriff stared in shock and terror. "What?!"

"You clearly hated the man, and the thief. So when you saw that someone was injured in one of the robberies, you saw your chance. You got word from last night's victim that he had been robbed and when you found out that the victim was the criminal you've been trying to lock up, you couldn't stand it. So you killed two birds with one stone. You killed off the criminal and framed the thief. Two people you despised would be gone and nobody would be any the wiser."

"You have no proof of this!" The sheriff rebutted.

"No proof indeed. Unless the criminal was a little bit tougher than you thought and fought back, giving you that cut on your hand there before going down. Tell me sheriff, are you sure that came from this morning?"

The sheriff moved his hand behind his back. "You're insane."

"And you're guilty." Without another word, Yasuo slashed across the sheriff's throat with his sword. The body fell to the ground with a thump and Yasuo turned to leave. But before he opened the door, he doubled back, gazing on the body of the Night Thief, a man he now knew was innocent.

"I'm sorry," Yasuo whispered. "I should have believed you. It's just, all the evidence stacked against you. It looked like you were the killer…" Yasuo's voice trailed off as he realized the situation he was in. He, a man on the run after being framed for murder had just killed an innocent man who was framed for murder. Yasuo' gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "I am so sorry. So sorry…"

Yasuo wiped his eyes and left the office behind, left the whole damned town behind.

* * *

_Dear Yone,_

_ I now know understand why all of this has come to pass. At first, I was so angry, so unbelieving that the people of Ionia would trust me so little. But now I see it from another perspective. I was the only one who could have done it. I was the best suspect. Now I see why they send hunters after me and I must run. However, I still hope they would stop. I don't want to kill anyone. That is not what I seek, but it is my only choice. Yone, I've learned that you can't take everything for what it seems to be. I hope you can see that. I hope you see that I'm telling the truth, that I am innocent. Again I set off on the road alone, again feeling empty and alone. _

_I send my love,_

_Yasuo_

* * *

Author's Notes: Well there's more for ya! I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter 10 will be coming soon but I just want to let you know that I will likely be settling into around 1 a week. Chapters 1-8 were written while on break so now that I'm without all of the free time, they'll be coming slower. But don't worry, they're on the way and I can't wait to share what happens next!

Commenting on reviews: Congrats to you Neko-chan260, you're the first one I've seen to get that hidden joke, keep an eye out for more. Also, I'd like to thank all of the reviewers who commented since chapter 8's release, it was a huge confidence boost to see how much you guys seem to like The Unforgiven. I hope that in the future you share the opinion that I have that the story is only getting better, because believe me, the best is certainly yet to come.

Check back soon for chapter 10 as Yasuo reaches the next city on his trek to Piltover, Zaun. It will be called "The Man-Powered Monstrosity."


	10. The Man-Powered Monstrosity

Yasuo trudged through the cold nights and sweltering days for another week, sleeping only a couple of hours a night. His mind was haunted with the thoughts of the past two months. When he had left Ionia, he was a young warrior, ready for battle and the thrill of defeating the Noxian invaders but today, Yasuo felt like a man much older than his years. His hands were calloused and his feet were soar. Scratches and bruises covered his arms and legs and his heart felt as heavy as the sword he still carried in hand.

One night, the wind was particularly chilling as Yasuo drew closer to the next stop on his journey to Piltover, the dreary city of Zaun. Yasuo had only heard stories of Zaun before. It was the home of many monsters and weapons dealers, the most prominent of which was Singed, a chemist who armed Noxus with chemical weapons for use against Ionia. Even the battle in which Yasuo faced Darius featured some of these monstrosities.

Yasuo drew the hood of his tattered cloak over his head as he entered the bleak looking city. The streets were nearly empty in the pouring rain as the wanderer continued on step by painful step. Out of the corner of his eye, Yasuo noticed something strange. The rain was stronger on this night yes, but something was off with the clouds. They were gathered over Zaun in a massive black cluster pouring enormous drops onto the city. The strange part was that the dark clouds ended quite abruptly just outside the city limits. Yasuo looked around and noticed yes, on every side of this city the clouds ended! Yasuo feared what might be the cause.

Just then a roar came from the inner part of the city where some sort of commotion was taking place. Dreading what might be up the street, Yasuo quickened his pace towards the sound. Another groan sounded, more muffled this time from a building about a hundred feet up the street to the right. The building was a deep shade of grey with no windows all the way up the five stories. But on top was an enormous metal rod, sparking with electricity. Yasuo stepped closer and the rain got heavier, pounding down on his head like rocks. Yet another cry came from the inside of the building and the metal rod sparked wildly. As it did, there was a distinct change in the rain. It was getting even stronger.

Without Yasuo having to direct or command, the wind began shielding him from the downpour. With the rain no longer bothering him, Yasuo took a closer look at the clouds. They too were sparking in synch with the metal rod and the screams of whatever was inside the building. Perhaps the rod was shocking whoever was inside by catching the electricity of the looming storm. Whatever it was, Yasuo was going to have a look.

Pushing the door open, Yasuo called through the building. "Hello?" There was no response. The interior was largely the same as the exterior, grey and bland but with some unusual additions. There were bottles of green bubbling liquid and some syringes laid out and filled with some thick purple goo. Yasuo's heart skipped a beat. "Singed..."

Rushing up the stairs to where the calls were originating, Yasuo noted strange wires running through the entirety of the building around a tube that transcended every floor of the unusual laboratory. He had no idea what these were so he kept going. On the fourth floor landing Yasuo stopped dead in his tracks and stared in shock.

In the center of the fourth floor room was a metal trap which ensnared an enormous man. He was groaning incoherently and tugging at the chains that bound him. But none of that was as surprising as the elephant in the room. The man

was purple! This massive creature looked in most ways like a man but with bright purple skin, bulging muscles, and a long hanging tongue.

"What the hell?" Yasuo said to himself, carefully stepping closer.

"Mundo trapped. Mundo hurt."

"Mundo?," Yasuo asked, "Is that your name?"

The purple man nodded weakly as Yasuo stepped closer again. "I'm gonna get you out of here okay? You won't hurt anymore." But just as Yasuo spoke a jolt of lightning started erupting again. Not out of the sky, but out of Mundo. Somehow he was giving off this power. The sparks traveled down wires that were attached all over the purple giant into a generator in the middle of the room. "What is this?!"

"Mundo strong. Bald man and wolf man take power from Mundo. Mundo hurts!"

"Bald man? Singed?!" Mundo nodded again. "Where is he?"

"Bald man upstairs making more purple."

"More purple? What does that mean."

"Purple make Mundo strong, makes him keep hurting." Yasuo's eyes widened as understanding reached him.

"Singed is training your strength to continue powering this electric thing and giving you that purple serum in the needles downstairs to keep you alive- like a living battery." Mundo groaned again as another jolt of strength left him. "I'm getting you out Mundo." With that, Yasuo drew his sword and slashed at the chains holding Mundo but to his surprise, the chains did not break. Yasuo tried again with no effect. For several minutes Yasuo hacked and slashed at the chains from every angle even calling on the wind to snap them but simply nothing could break them.

"You know, Doctor, if you keep rattling those chains I'll have to restrain you more," a voice said from the stairs. Yasuo froze in place. Singed's footsteps drew closer and closer as Yasuo got ready for a fight.

Singed rounded the corner and entered the room to find Yasuo there and ready. "Well hello there. I didn't know we were having visitors."

"Save it you murderer."

"Oh, you must be a demacian, or perhaps and ionian."

"Ionian."

Singed smirked, "You should have surrendered when you had the chance... But I digress. What are you doing here? Surely you didn't come all this way to find little old me."

"No, I'm looking for someone worse than you, an assassin who murdered my ender and pinned it on me."

"Ah yes! I remember setting up an escape for that mission personally!" Singed jeered.

Yasuo's nostrils flared and he felt a burning anger. "I am going to kill you, filth."

"Oh come now, you can't! You are in my territory!" Yasuo didn't need to hear more. He lunged with his sword and was promptly splattered with a sticky substance from a tube singed was holding.

"Ugh! What is this?" Yasuo said, fighting to move.

"My personal brand of adhesive. You won't be moving any time soon."

"You would think that, wouldn't you!" Yasuo said as the wind started to blow inside the laboratory. Singed looked around, astonished by the gust that was blowing through. Yasuo grinned.

The chemist ran to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of red liquid and quickly gulped it down while hoisting a huge metal tank onto his back. But by the time he had done so, the wind had blown away the adhesive and Yasuo was starting to walk again. Mundo continued to wail as more electric current flowed from him.

Singed was the next to make a move. He whistled and yelled, "I require your help my friend!"

Yasuo stared quizzically at his opponent. "Who are you calling to?"

Mundo spoke up. "Wolf man coming!"

Yasuo turned and ran as fast as he could at Singed but to his surprise, Singed could run away just as fast. It was time to give chase. Yasuo ran after singed for a couple of seconds before he realized what was going on. He started feeling light headed and his vision blurred before he noticed what was going on. There was a whistling sound coming from the canister on Singed's back. It was leaking out poison. Yasuo turned away and backed himself towards Mundo, out of the poison trail. "Mundo, I can't save you from this. But I can end your suffering. I can stop Singed from using you like this. Should I?"

"Mundo hurting! Stop the hurting!"

Yasuo gulped. "Alright, I'll stop the hurting."

"Warwick! Get him!" Singed called to a new figure who was turning the corner from the stairs. Warwick was an enormous wolf like creature that stood on two legs, growling at Yasuo. As Warwick started to charge, Yasuo turned quickly to Mundo and placed a hand on his chest, drawing out the familiar green glow. As he did so, Mundo started to quiet down and fall limp. Yasuo's heart beat quickly as he finished the job that he hated. He had once again killed a man. This one was even the victim! But it was the best he could do to ease the pain.

Warwick was only feet away when Yasuo turned back. Claws met flesh and Yasuo cried out in pain as the wolf ripped into his flesh. "Get off me!" Yasuo shouted, tossing Warwick to the ground. Warwick got up and started to growl again, closing in for the kill. "Stay back, Beast," Yasuo warned.

"You'd like that," the wolf replied.

Yasuo staired in awe for a moment. "You can talk?"

"The only difference between you and I is that I've accepted my inner beast." Warwick raised his paw and brought it down hard. Though Yasuo braced himself for the impact, the hit never landed as a gust of wind shot from a nearby window and slammed Warwick against the wall. Yasuo opened his eyes and stared at the window.

"Okay, that wasn't me..." he remarked to himself.

"True! It was me!" shouted a voice from the window.

Yasuo dashed to the window and looked out to see a beautiful blonde woman sitting cross legged on a cloud, floating at the window. "Who the hell?"

"Get on! Get on!" She shouted, beckoning him closer.

Yasuo looked back over his shoulder at Singed and Warwick. They were both running towards him. "Okay. Okay!"

Yasuo took a step up onto the windowsill and looked down. "Are you sure?" The woman responded with an annoyed look. "Yep, yep. I'm coming," he said. "Okay. Three. Two. One!" Yasuo jumped.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thanks for waiting for this one everybody! I know it has been a solid 2 weeks but I've been pretty busy. As always, I thank you for the reviews and I'll update ASAP.


	11. A Second Master of Wind

The leap to the cloud was a long one but with the help of the wind, Yasuo made it. The blonde woman smiled at him and raised her white staff. The wind picked up and slammed the windows shut after them.

"See? Nothing to worry about." She said, seeing Yasuo still examining the cloud. "It's solid for us. It's a nimbus cloud. It will carry us wherever I want to go."

"Okay… Who and why?" Yasuo asked, looking up at the blonde woman as the cloud started to float up.

"My name is Janna. I protect this region of the world from harm when I'm needed." Her smile was a little bit too calm for the situation. She looked very comfortable on her cloud, just sitting cross-legged with her white fabric robes waving in the wind like a flag. But her smile was genuine and had a strange effect in the situation. Yasuo actually started to calm down by just seeing how relaxed she was. "Anyway," Janna continued after a moment's pause. "I'm a tempest. I can control the weather. But I could not get rid of this storm for some reason. It was like something was making it stronger against my will."

"I think I figured out what that was. Singed was using a big purple guy like a battery. I have no idea how."

Janna frowned. "That's terrible! But you freed him right? Before I got there?"

Yasuo paused for a second. "Uh no. I couldn't. I had to put him out of his misery instead." Janna's mouth opened wide in shock.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry I wasn't there in time," she said, looking very upset with herself.

"Well you saved me," Yasuo said, grinning a little and grabbing a bottle from his bag and biting out the cork with his teeth. "Want a swig?"

"Oh, no thank you… what was it?"

"I'm Yasuo."

"No thank you Yasuo. I don't like to drink alcohol."

"Why not? Good for your troubles."

Janna shook her head. "Not really. It helps you forget your troubles, it does not have the power to fix them."

Yasuo nodded solemnly. "I guess." He took a sip, not taking his eyes off of his companion partially because he wasn't fully sure he could trust her and partially because she was amazingly beautiful with the wind blowing like it was against her. And she controlled the wind too! Yasuo sighed to himself.

"What is it?" Janna asked.

"Oh, uh nothing. Just uh, you are an ally to the wind too."

"You are?" She asked, looking away from the clouds and back to Yasuo.

"Yeah. Only one left. Or so I thought."

Janna smiled brightly. "I guess there are two of us then!"

"Three."

"Three?" Janna asked, excitedly. "Who?"

"An assassin who killed my village elder and pinned it on me." Janna did not react for a moment but the turned back to looking at the sky and raising her staff. The clouds started to clear away at her movement. When she was finished and the clouds were gone, she turned back. "I must say, that's legitimately disappointing."

"Hah, you're tellin' me."

"Anyway, Yasuo. Where would you like to be dropped off?"

"Oh, uh anywhere is fine. I'm just walking to Piltover."

"I'll take you all the way there!"

Yasuo furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the strange woman. "All the way to Piltover? That's a week's walk."

"Or a couple hours on a nimbus cloud!" Janna replied happily. "Don't you see how fast we are moving?" Yasuo looked down and was surprised to see that Zaun was already far in the distance.

"Wow, well. Thank you Sarah."

"Sarah? It's Janna."

"Oh yeah," Yasuo laughed. "It's just, I had a friend who gave me a ride a while back called Sarah. My mistake. I apologize."

"That's quite alright! You know, I bet you could make us go even faster! If we work together I'm sure we can speed up this wind current!"

"Won't we get knocked off?"

"Yasuo, the wind knows better than to knock us off. Have some faith."

Yasuo was confused again. "It doesn't know better. It's wind. It doesn't think."

Janna shrugged. "No, but if you let it know what you want it might just surprise you." Yauso didn't quite buy it but he calmed himself. Closed his eyes, and prepared to channel the wind.

'Don't knock us off, don't knock us off, don't knock us off!' he prayed in his head, opening one eye to check what was happening. To his surprise, they were moving even faster and now Zuan was but a speck on the horizon."

"See? You're doing it!"

"But how?"

Janna laughed. "You opened yourself up Yasuo! Remember, you aren't alone! The wind is your ally and it will help you if you only ask!"

Yasuo had never really thought of it like that. But he smiled and continued to focus on the wind.

* * *

A few hours later, Yasuo could see the fantastic cityscape of Piltover in the distance. The golden city had buildings higher than he had imagined. He was breathless just looking at it.

"Never seen the city before?"

"No. I'm not exactly local."

"Oh," Janna said, perking up. "Where are you from?"

"Ionia, but I'll tell you that some other time," Yasuo said without taking his eyes off the skyline.

"Alright. Well, whenever you are done in Piltover, I can come and take you wherever you need to go in this area. I could at least get you part of the way home," the hopeful look in her eyes made Yauso feel warm for the first time in over a month.

"Deal. Thank you so much Janna. How can I repay you?"

"Oh it's nothing Yasuo. I am just so glad to meet someone else who knows the wind like I do!"

"It's nice for me just to have a friend," Yasuo grinned. Janna giggled.

"Alright Yasuo, I'm going to give you a cloud to ride down on. It won't last long so land fast okay?"

"Wait what?!" Yasuo said, panicked by this sudden turn of events.

"I'll see you soon! Just guide the wind!"

"Agh!" Suddenly the cloud they were riding on split in two and Yasuo started to descend onto the city. He looked up and saw Janna waving and smiling from her cloud, the long white strips of fabric that clothed her flowing in the wind. Yasuo smiled back, distracted if only for a moment from the plummeting cloud he was riding on.

As soon as she was out of sight, Yasuo turned his attention back to landing. The cloud was descending very quickly and he could see the edges of it dissipating into the air. His ride was getting smaller by the second. Then a bright flash lit up the sky around him.

Yasuo whirled around to see several giant rockets flying at him. He leaped up as one came past the cloud, missing it by inches. "Oh no. no no no no!" Yasuo yelled, noticing that his cloud had stopped in mid air but with all the momentum, he hadn't. Yasuo started to fall in the midst of all of the missiles.

'Help help help!' To his amazement, the wind actually did help by guiding him towards one of the rockets. Yasuo desperately grabbed onto the side and scrambled on top. Catching his breath, Yasuo scanned the sea of rockets and spotted something strange. There was what appeared to be a person on top of one of the further away ones. It was the silhouette of a woman with long braids wearing shorts and combat boots. She was standing up and riding it like a surfboard! Yasuo gawked at how much skill she must have to maneuver like that. Then again, the rockets were probably hers and they were headed straight for the city!

With haste, Yasuo leaped from his rocket, this time in control of his fall and signaled an updraft to break his fall. Nevertheless, the fall was rough and Yasuo slammed into the ground forcefully, hitting as the rockets connected with a tall building in the center of the city. As the walls came crumbling down the girl who was riding the rocket slid down the debris, laughing and clapping. A huge wave of dust surged through the air and over the two as their eyes met. Yasuo started to stand up, not sure what to expect from this girl.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hey, I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to a few of the reviewers from l last couple weeks! First and foremost, Carbon839. I have to thank you and all of the other people who have read every chapter a lot for the support and for continuing to read. As I've said before, that is what is keeping my going most. To Umbree: Thanks a lot for the review! Let me know if you ever figure out what you think is "off." I'd love to hear what I could do to be better.

Sidenote: I am working on a spin off project with Diovolo currently that will be a 3 chapter side-story that fits in with The Unforgiven. The difference? This time it is told from the perspective of the elder's killer. I won't be rehashing anything that has happened to Yasuo and he will only be making a brief cameo in part 1 of this trilogy but I hope you enjoy it none the less. It will be released as part of The Unforgiven periodically over the rest of the story. Part 1 will be coming quite soon. I hope you are as excited as I am.

Well folks, we are in Piltover now! I hope you're ready to get Jinx'd in chapter 12!


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